Global creative network McCann Worldgroup, part of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), and [Ai]magination, the creative Artificial Intelligence (AI) content studio founded by highly awarded creative agency talents, have entered into a strategic partnership that combines the latest generative AI technologies with leading creative minds to produce creative content at speed for McCann Worldgroup’s top clients.
The partnership is designed to fully realize the potential of generative AI to optimize the end-to-end creative asset production process. Built with craft and human-fueled creativity in mind, [Ai]magination bridges the often-siloed worlds of advertising and AI. This allows McCann Worldgroup and its clients to align the full content creation power and speed of AI with the creative vision and brand platforms for which the network is best known.
The relationship is designed to provide McCann Worldgroup and its clients with early, preferred access to [Ai]magination capabilities for real-time content creation and asset support for brand campaigns. It also promises to further accelerate generative AI fluency, with workshops focused on effective collaboration between the two companies.
For [Ai]magination, the partnership offers an opportunity to work with an array of top global brands and some of the world’s best creative talent who share an ambition to employ generative AI as a tool to augment creative craft and production excellence, where human creativity is always in the driver’s seat.
Daryl Lee, global CEO of McCann Worldgroup and McCann, said, “McCann Worldgroup is committed to all the flavors of creativity in the world and to using these flavors to build enduring brands for our clients. This partnership with [Ai]magination demonstrates how profoundly generative AI is opening up new possibilities in creative craft and production. It accelerates our ability to produce beautiful content in real time that remains strategically on-brand because it’s guided and optimized by our philosophy of Truth Well Told. We look forward to a productive partnership with ([Ai}magination’s) Frédéric (Raillard) and his talented team of creative AI production experts.”
Raillard, founder and global head of gen AI at [Ai]magination, expressed similar excitement about the collaboration, stating, “This partnership signifies a momentous leap forward in the fusion of technology and human-driven creativity. Together with McCann Worldgroup, we are poised to unlock unprecedented possibilities, enabling brands to connect with their audiences in ways never before imagined.”
The two companies have already worked together on several projects, demonstrating seamless collaboration with positive traction among clients.
Charlotte Franceries, president of McCann Paris and global business leader for L’Oréal, added, “We are always looking to bring the latest innovations to L’Oréal in a way that upholds the highest standards of advertising beauty and excellence. In working with [Ai]magination, we have seen how much they value the craft of advertising and how committed they are to ensuring we use generative AI to enhance human creativity and raise the quality of our work.”
Javier Campopiano, global chief creative officer, McCann Worldgroup and McCann, concluded, “Undoubtedly, gen AI is a revolution that has made all of us rethink the way we foresee the creative process and output, and most importantly, the kind of partnerships we want to bring to that process. It is a pivotal moment for our industry, and we must make the right choices now to be truly future proof. [Ai]magination shares our values and philosophy; they, like us, see artificial intelligence in service of human intelligence and talent to deliver radical creativity. This is a partnership that will benefit immeasurably both our people and clients.”
The core Worldgroup network is comprised of McCann, MRM, CRAFT, and FutureBrand, and partners with Momentum Worldwide, Weber Shandwick and UM to deliver solutions across the marketing spectrum.
